Just get on with it: New results from implementing under-utilized low-cost energy efficiency strategies in existing laboratories

Paul Mathew, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory

This presentation will provide new results from the application of four well-established but underutilized low-cost strategies for existing laboratories as part of the DOE Better Buildings Alliance (BBA) laboratories team: 1) fume hood sash management; 2) Optimizing minimum air change rates; 3) tracking and minimizing reheat; 4) freezer energy management. Indeed, Labs21 itself has developed several resources on these strategies. The DOE BBA lab team currently includes 14 members, mostly universities. Each member committed to implementing one or more of these low-cost strategies. LBNL developed step-by-step implementation guides for each of these strategies, including how to calculate savings. In this presentation we will cover the following: - Overview of the BBA laboratories team - Brief description of each of the four strategies and their implementation guides. - Results from BBA member implementation of these measures - including savings achieved and lesson learned.

The core message of the presentation is that these measures are well-established - we know how to implement them, and we know they save energy - and that the barriers to implementing these measures usually have to do with over-conservatism, lack of guidance, lack of peer examples, and inertia. The DOE BBA implementation guides and savings case studies can help address some of these concerns. In the discussion period, we will invite and challenge the audience to find ways to overcome these barriers and "just get on with it".

Biography:

Paul Mathew is a Staff Scientist and Group Leader of the Commercial Building Systems group at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), where he conducts applied research and market transformation activities on energy use in buildings. His current work is focused on energy benchmarking tools and techniques for commercial buildings, energy-related risk analysis, as well as energy efficiency for laboratories and data centers. Prior to joining LBNL, he worked at Enron Energy Services and the Center for Building Performance at Carnegie Mellon University. He has a Bachelor's degree in Architecture, and a Ph.D. in Building Performance and Diagnostics.

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